Trahan Architects: Located in central China, Zhengzhou is experiencing rapid re-development. Part of a broad scale master plan labeled “The Rise of Central China”; Zhengzhou is implementing a two part initiative: ecological and infrastructural development. Ecological development prioritizes the surrounding natural resources; forest park, scenic areas, wetlands/reserves, rivers/lakes & urban green space. Infrastructural development addresses an emerging market identified as “Logistics Industry”. Zhengzhou is to serve as an integrated hub for the import/export of goods and mass transportation which connects the east and the west.

The project site is located in the historic city center which is the primary shopping district just north of the main train station and just south of the People’s Park (a large public park). The Erqi Monument resides to the south west corner of the site and is the primary tourist attraction in Zhengzhou. The monument is a 27 floor double pagoda dedicated to a worker strike that occurred February 7, 1923.

Challenging the conventions of this typology, the proposed design blends the hotel and live/work top with the retail base. In order to maximize and prioritize the corners of the site, the hotel and live/work program are rotated over the corners to frame the exterior/interior of the site. The green boulevards flow into and up the edges of the site to create a green urban space at the mezzanine level. Envisioned as an entertainment level, patrons can enjoy amenities and an elevated view of the city. The retail base steps down in plan and section for greater connectivity to the adjacent urban edges. The gradated triangulated façade reinforces the corners and programmatic relationships from floor to floor.